The Gospel of Journalism

"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned..." - Romans 5:12 (ESV)

The idea of "federal headship" has become more real to me recently.

Rejection has been the most frequently inflicted pain since this quarter started. No, not the unrequited-love kind, but the interviewing kind.

I could probably go on for at least 29 paragraphs detailing all of the times I have asked people for an interview only to be rejected. I understand, for the most part. After all, time is precious and it's difficult to imagine many people whose pulses quicken at the thought of sharing their thoughts and being quoted by a journalism student. (I've found that tossing the word "graduate" in there doesn't do much good.)

Last Saturday, I was attempting to interview people at a local 7-Eleven. One lady rejected me and later told me, approximately, "Most people don't want to talk with you because of those people before you who twisted people's quotes around."

I nodded and understood. I had no rebuttal.

It's frustrating enough to be repeatedly rejected by people, but to know that it has just as much, if not more to do with the journalists who preceded me...that really broils my biscuits.

I am starting off at the bottom of the slope, right from the outset. I am guilty until proven innocent. It's left to me to build up and gain credibility, not to merely maintain it.

The sins of those before me have made me disreputable.

And I feel it when some people immediately turn their eyes away or cough when I utter the word "journalism."

So, what can be done about this?

1) Earn it: I can turn my back on the lengthy history of journalistic sins and try my damndest to redeem the whole profession myself, so to speak. I'd have to put blinders on and take care of my own credibility. I would have to try to build up a pristine record and maintain it until the day I die. It's virtually impossible, of course, but I could try. Still, this does nothing to deal with the root issue. It only gives me an empty motivation that does little to redeem the reputation of the profession, and sets a bar far too high for me to overcome.

2) Forgiveness: I could hope that all the heartstrings of every citizen in the world would somehow be pulled in the direction of forgiveness towards every single journalist who has thus far sullied the reputation of the profession. However, if this happened at 11:45:00 p.m. tonight, it's effect would be quashed at 11:45:01 p.m., when some journalist somewhere will have made another blunder, thus marring the profession anew. Again, this does not deal with the root problem.

3) Bliss: Ignore the problem altogether. All parties would try to turn a blind mind's eye to the matter and go on from there. This is probably the most cowardly of options, and does nothing to uproot the problem.

4) A flame deluge: The profession of journalism could be purged from society. Bad for a number of reasons, and I say that with the utmost objectivity. This is using a shotgun to kill a weed - the root remains.

There are countless other options, of course, but they all fall short.

Now, I could try to imagine a scenario where a perfect, reputable journalist would appear and take the blame for all of the profession's missteps - past, present and future. He would not only take the blame, but would claim to be the author of each mistake - past, present and future - and would take the consequences upon himself. He would assume the guise of every single faulty journalist - past, present and future - and would trade his spotless résumé for their blotted ones.

After he was prosecuted - harshly, I would imagine - the problem would have been properly resolved, the profession would be guiltless and interviews would come more easily for journalism students.

Those that would accept me as faultless would accept the solution, while those that would not accept me, in spite of the exchange, would, in effect, reject the solution. It would no longer reflect on me, but on the one who exchanged places with me.

Obviously, there are incredibly huge gaps between this scenario and the Gospel itself that make this illustration all but useless, but to think that this plot, in its essence, has actually played out in a much deeper, profound way, on a grander stage makes me pause, with gratitude.

And as I think about this, new roots begin to grow in me - further up and further in.

"Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." - Romans 5:18-19